This Lemon Butter Sauce for fish is outrageous – 3 minutes, 2 ingredients, totally restaurant worthy.
The secret is browned butter – called Beurre noisette in French. Learn how to pronounce it so you can loftily tell your family and friends “we’re having French tonight!” (But don’t tell them how simple it is?)
Restaurant-style Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish!
Great quality fish is not cheap. But worthy of investment because:
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it’s good for you;
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a beautiful piece of fish requires very little done to it to make a meal that you’d pay serious $ for at a fancy seafood restaurant; and
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they’re quick to cook.
And so I present to you, your new favourite posh-yet-easy-and-super-quick way with fish: Pan fried until golden then drizzled with a 3 minute Lemon Butter Sauce that you’re going to go nuts over.
The Lemon Butter Sauce
The Lemon Butter Sauce is just made with butter and lemon. But it’s not “just” butter and lemon.
It’s brown butter and lemon.
If you’re new to brown butter, this is going to change your world – it’s addictive. Brown butter is everything you love about melted butter, boosted with an incredible nutty, toasty aroma.
The French call it Beurre noisette. The literal translation is “hazelnut butter”, and even though hazelnuts don’t come into the equation at all, we get it. 🙂
How to make Lemon Butter Sauce
3 minutes, 3 steps, 2 ingredients:
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Melt butter;
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Leave until the butter turns brown and the smell suddenly changes and becomes nutty – about 3 minutes;
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Stir through lemon juice.
The recipe video is helpful if you’re a first timer to browned butter – especially the pre and post comparison.
Quick Tips
While brown butter is simple to make, if it’s on too high a heat, it can go from nutty perfection to burnt in seconds. So here are a few quick tips:
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Use a silver based small skillet or pot so you can see when the butter changes colour;
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Make the Lemon Butter Sauce before the fish so you can concentrate on getting it right. It stays warm for up to 30 minutes – but if you are delayed and it solidifies, it only takes 10 seconds in the microwave to melt it back to its original state; and
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Don’t try to make the Lemon Butter Sauce in the same skillet as the fish – the pan will be too large.
Use sparingly – it’s rich!
And you don’t need much – this stuff is rich! The recipe makes slightly more than you need because running out of sauce in the middle of dinner is dismal, but in all honesty, my standard serving is 1 tablespoon of Sauce per fillet of fish.
It looks a lot browner in the bowl than it does when you drizzle it over the fish. Which is actually perfect – it’s a bright yellow Lemon colour once drizzled. 🙂 If it was just plain melted butter, you wouldn’t have that same intense deep yellow colour that you see on the plate – nor would it pool on the plate like in the photo below.
The fish fillet is pictured in this post with the Kale and Quinoa Salad I published on Monday. 🙂 Keeps for days in the fridge, my friends! Don’t think of it as a trendy “health food” salad. It’s just a darn tasty filling salad that just happens to star 2 superfoods. Tested and proven!
Here are a few more ideas for things to serve this fish with:
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Mashed potato or mashed cauliflower (for a low carb option)
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For a true indulgent restaurant experience, try Paris Mash – the richest, creamiest mashed potato in the world
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Curried Basmati Rice – this aromatic pilaf would be terrific paired with the fresh fish flavour
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A garden salad or leafy greens with French Vinaigrette or Italian Dressing
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Broccoli Salad or Magic Broccoli (the best roasted broccoli ever!)
And more fish recipes!
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Honey Garlic Salmon and Lemon Honey Glazed Salmon – super quick!
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See all Fish recipes
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish
Ingredients
Lemon Butter Sauce:
- 60 g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt and finely ground pepper
Crispy Pan Fried Fish:
- 2 x thin white fish fillets (120-150g / 4-5oz each), skinless boneless (I used Bream, Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp white flour
- 2 tbsp oil (I use canola)
Serving:
- Lemon wedges
- Finely chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
Lemon Butter Sauce (see video):
- Place the butter in a light coloured saucepan or small skillet over medium heat.
- Melt butter then leave on the stove, whisking / stirring very now and then. When the butter turns golden brown and it smells nutty - about 3 minutes, remove from stove immediately and pour into small bowl. (Note 2)
- Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir then taste when it has cooled slightly. Adjust lemon/salt to taste.
- Set aside - it will stay pourable for 20 - 30 minutes. See Note 3 for storing.
Crispy Pan Fried Fish:
- Pat fish dry using paper towels. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, then flour. Use fingers to spread flour. Turn and repeat. Shake excess flour off well, slapping between hands if necessary.
- Heat oil in a non stick skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering and there are faint wisps of smoke, add fish. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until golden and crispy on the edges, then turn and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes (cook longer if you have thicker fillets).
- Remove immediately onto serving plates. Drizzle each with about 1 tbsp of Sauce (avoid dark specks settled at the bottom of the bowl), garnish with parsley and serve with lemon on the side. Pictured in post with Kale and Quinoa Salad.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
3 hours ago: as usual, refusing to get out of the car knowing what lies ahead – a hose down.
Delicious. We used defrosted fish, it was still so yum. Added a little dried rosemary into the fish flour coating, else made exactly as per recipe. Very elegant. Thank you!
Used on crab cakes! Nom nom!
Excellent, thank you. I had a Basa fillet I used. Love this recipe.
We try to do fish twice a week and this recipe has become a regular one in the rotation! My Son-I-L, who ran a michelin star restaurant in manhattan always raves when I make this for the family.
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Loved this!
So simple, so good.
Directions were spot on and extremely thorough!
I tried this evening, me and my husband ( who is not so much fish fan ) absolutely loved it 🙂 Butter lemon sauce flavour is amazing !! Definitely making it again soon. Thank you from Belgium xx
OMG This was wonderful just like every one of your recipes I have made. Thank you so much.
This was amazing and easy- will totally make this again. The fish and the brown butter sauce!! Thank you!
How could a recipe so easy with so few ingredients be so good. Thx.
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I made this first time and my family loved it! Video was so helpful and all the ingredients info also so easy to see.
Thank you so much!
Absolutely amazing. Simple yet flavorful. And yes, that odd nuttiness comes through though not overpowering.
Excellent.
Used tilapia and followed your directions. Didn’t know browned butter would make such a difference!
This was really simple to make and so tasty. We squeezed the lemon on top of the fish when done and spooned the butter on top .
Love fish but seldom make it at home. I will definitely make this recipe again! So simple and delicious! Thanks for sharing.
This recipe is amazing. I’m terrible at cooking fish, I always burn it however I followed the instructions and it was a grand success. I felt like we ate at a restaurant tonight. Thanks Nagi!
Woo hoo that’s great Cindy!! N x
When and where can I buy your recipe book Nagi
It will be available in October, Kay! N x
I made this tonight for dinner.
It was easy and delicious. My family loved it
That’s great Kathy! I am happy that they liked it! N x
So easy to make and yet elevates fish to the next level. I used it over broiled haddock with butter (yes, more butter!) panko topping.
Everything’s better with BUTTER!! N x